Augusta in Richmond County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)

Shiloh Orphanage

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, June 11, 2022

1. Shiloh Orphanage Marker

Inscription. In 1896, the Shiloh Baptist Association founded an orphanage for African-American children denied care at the city's whites-only orphanage. After operating briefly under a different name and director, the home became Shiloh Orphanage under the stewardship of the Reverend Daniel McHorton by 1899. As superintendent, McHorton provided housing and secured food, education, and vocational training for Shiloh's wards. With assistance from wealthy northern donors and local support from both black and white communities, supporters raised enough money to purchase a permanent property to house the orphanage in 1904. Later that year, Shiloh Orphanage relocated here on 15th Street, adding a classroom in 1910. Dormitories for girls (1927) and boys (1936) followed. Shiloh Orphanage closed in 1970 and reopened as Shiloh Comprehensive Community Center in 1977.

Erected 2018 by Georgia Historical Society • Georgia Department of Transportation. (Marker Number 121-20.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Charity & Public Work • Religion & Religious Structures. In

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addition, it is included in the Georgia Historical Society series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1896.

Location. 33° 27.519′ N, 81° 59.859′ W. Marker is in Augusta, Georgia, in Richmond County. It is on 15th Street (Georgia Route 4) 0.1 miles north of Morgan Street, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1635 15th St, Augusta GA 30901, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the American South

and specifically in the Deep South.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within one mile of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Paine College (approx. 0.8 miles away); John Wesley Gilbert (approx. 0.8 miles away); The Medical College of Georgia (approx. 0.9 miles away); Tank, Combat, 90MM Gun (approx. 0.9 miles away);

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, June 11, 2022

2. Shiloh Orphanage Marker

Attorney James Madison Nabrit, Jr. (approx. one mile away); Dr. George Nelson Stoney (approx. one mile away); Stoney Nurses Home (approx. one mile away); The Honorable Edward M. McIntyre (approx. one mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Augusta.

Also see . . . Shiloh Orphanage (PDF). National Register of Historic Places nomination for the former orphanage, which was listed in 1996. (National Archives) (Submitted on June 16, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

Shiloh Orphanage image. Click for full size.

Courtesy of The Frick Collection/Frick Art Reference Library Archives (Public Domain), 1910

3. Shiloh Orphanage

Just three buildings remain on the site today: The Strong Academy, a one-room school built in 1910; a girls' dormitory (built 1927); and a boys' dormitory (built 1936).

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2022. It was originally submitted on June 16, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 1,719 times since then and 80 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on June 16, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.